Old-time bread & vegetables

The Little Hat Creek Farm CSA

What is a CSA? A CSA is a business model for small farms in which members of the community invest in the farm and its crops in exchange for a share of that produce. This win-win arrangement provides farmers with crucial income early in the season when they need it the most, and it provides the community with easy access to plenty of high-quality produce.

Why participate in a CSA? When you buy a share in Little Hat Creek Farm’s CSA, your food dollars stay in your community, which helps build local resilience in times of change. You reserve for yourself and your family a weekly delivery of fresh, nutritious bread, vegetables, and fruit. You also establish a conscious relationship to your food, to the land, and to us, the folks who produce your food. You will learn about how your food was produced through our newsletter and blog, and by talking to us, your producers. As a CSA member, you are investing in our livelihood and stewardship practices, and sharing in the risks and rewards of farming. Learn more about how we grow here.

Our 2015-2016 crew

Ben packing CSA boxes

What can I expect as a CSA member? We carefully track the market value of each box to make sure that over the course of the season, the value of your box averages at least $30 per week. Every box will contain:

Vegetables: The content and size of your box will reflect the growing season. For example, in the cooler weather at the beginning of the season, your box will contain mostly greens. At the peak of the season in August and September, your box will contain more fruits like tomatoes and summer squash. Exact amounts and timing will vary with the weather, but here’s what we’re planning on planting for you in 2017.

Bread: The bread in your box will vary weekly. You will receive favorites from our market stand, like our best-selling multigrain sourdough, as well as other unique breads, like blue corn walnut. At times we will be inspired by the season, as with garlic scape sourdough, while other times we will draw inspiration from a new flour, grain, or method. Read more about our bread here.

Pastry: We are delighted to offer hand-laminated sweet and savory pastry to our CSA members this year. Every week you will get two croissants or two puff pastry tarts filled with seasonal produce from our farm, or more traditional fillings (who can resist a chocolate croissant?). We use only grass-fed butter and organic flour in our pastries. You can taste the difference for yourself, for only $144 (that’s a $152 value).

Please note: Bread is an important part of our CSA box, so if you’re gluten-free, consider sharing your bread with a friend!

In addition, every week we will keep in touch with a newsletter that describes what is in your box and gives you suggestions for how to use more unfamiliar items. We send this email the morning of your CSA pickup, so it also works as a reminder to pick up your share. Periodically, your newsletter will also contain farm news, photos, and recipes.

OK, so what are the details? New for 2017, our CSA will switch from Monday to Wednesday deliveries. In 2017 CSA will run for 19 weeks from June 7 to October 11. Your pre-packed shares will be delivered on Wednesday afternoons to the Starr Hill neighborhood in Charlottesville or available for pickup on the farm.

NEW LOCATION: We will also offer a market-style CSA at the Wednesday Lexington Farmer’s Market! You will get the same selection of vegetables we harvest for our other locations, with the ability to pick them out for yourselves.

We are keeping our prices the same for 2017! A Little Hat Creek Farm CSA share will cost $570 (tax included) if we deliver it to Charlottesville or Lexington, or $515 if you can pick it up on the farm. The pastry add-on is an additional $144. A non-refundable $200 deposit is due at sign-up to secure your share, and the full balance is due June 1, 2016. If you need to arrange a flexible payment schedule, let us know and we’ll work with you.

I’d like to participate, but I can’t afford the cost. If you find yourself wanting to eat fresh local food, but find it too expensive for your budget, we have another option this year. Thanks to generous contributions to our farm, we are now have a limited number of Pay-What-You-Can CSA shares! You may pay any amount that suits your budget; we won’t ask questions. Please keep in mind that the more money you are able to contribute towards your share, the more people like you we will be able to help. Before you sign up, please send us an email with the amount that you would like to pay. Once we make sure we have the funds to support you, we will send you a link to sign up for our CSA.

What happens if I go on vacation? We commit to delivering 19 weeks of bread and vegetables to you–what you do with them is up to you. If you’re going away, the best solution is to arrange to have a friend or neighbor pick up your share. Unfortunately the nature of the CSA means that we cannot refund your money if you miss a pickup.

How do I sign up? Please fill out this form and send your $200 deposit to Little Hat Creek Farm, 163 Shaeffer’s Hollow Lane, Roseland, VA 22967. Please make your checks out to “Little Hat Creek Farm.” We thank you for your support!

Thanks for contacting us Karen! We are honored to be your first choice! We wish we could accommodate your request, but we have decided to focus on a single type of share this year because it is our first year. We take our side of the CSA commitment seriously and want to do a good job, so we are trying not to bite off more than we can chew. We do have members who share their CSA with a friend every week, perhaps this option could work for you too!

Hi,
I am interested in joining the CSA, but have a few questions. When can your members pick up the bread/produce in Starr Hill? Just Monday or other days as well? And is there a time window? Also, do you still have any slots available for 2016?